A-Rod apologizes to fans in handwritten letter

This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

A-Rod apologizes to fans in handwritten letter

NEW YORK — Alex Rodriguez has issued a handwritten apology “for the mistakes that led to my suspension” but has turned down New York’s offer to use Yankee Stadium for a news conference and has failed to detail any specifics about his use of performance-enhancing drugs.

The five-paragraph statement issued Tuesday, three days before the team opens spring training, was addressed “to the fans.”

Rodriguez says “I regret that my actions made the situation worse than it needed to be” and “I’m ready to put this chapter behind me and play some ball.”

The 39-year-old, a three-time AL MVP, was suspended last season for violations of baseball’s drug agreement and labor contract. An arbitrator found “clear and convincing evidence” Rodriguez used three banned substances and twice tried to obstruct the baseball’s drug investigation.